Uganda reintroduced highly discriminatory anti-gay legislation on Tuesday, although it removed clauses advocating the death penalty for "repeat offenders". The bill was introduced initially in 2009 before being shelved in May 2011, due to massive international pressure on the Ugandan government, although its face-saving excuse was that it had sufficient laws to deal with homosexuals. Several MPs and a group of religious folks fought for the bill to be re-introduced, and it now sits with parliament's legal and parliamentary affairs committee. After the committee sees it, and public debates are held, further debate in the House will be undertaken.
BBC, AP

Former Pennsylvania Senator and current Republican presidential nomination chaser Rick Santorum threatened to upend the race as he unexpectedly led in all three polls on Tuesday. Santorum was declared the winner of the Missouri primary (which means very little as the state's delegates will actually be chosen at a caucus on 17 March), as well as the Minnesota caucus, and was leading in Colorado at the time of writing, although less than 7% of precincts were reporting. The favourite to win the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney was running third in Colorado and Minnesota.
Politico, USA Today

BHP Billiton’s first half profits declined 5.5% to $9.941-billion largely due to falling commodity prices, but also to operational difficulties. This came in close to analyst expectations of $10-billion. Billiton said in a statement on Monday that waning demand from Europe lowered commodity prices, industrial action affected coal and flooding hurts its coal business.
Bloomberg, Australian Associated Press

Shanghai authorities are on alert after reports of a chemical leak into the Yangtze River, the most important water resource for China’s most populous city. Local media reported that there were no health concerns. The substance found in the river is phenol, an acidic compound used in the manufacturing of nylon and detergents, which is suspected to have leaked from a South Korean ship. While no health effects are expected, city administrators are prepared to shut the main reservoir upriver if anything lethal is discovered.
Reuters, Shanghai Daily

The vice president of the Maldives, Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, was sworn in on Tuesday evening, hours after the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed who stepped down due to public protests. Nasheed said, “I believe that if the government were to remain in power it would require the use of force which would harm many citizens.” The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party claimed “rogue elements” in the police force who aligned themselves with Nasheed’s predecessor, Abdul Gayoom, had forced the president to quit.
Times of India, Time

eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo will chat to the media at 10:00 from City Hall over a forensic audit showing corruption and irregular spending, which was presented by Nomusa Dube, KZN MEC of cooperative governance and traditional affairs. Dube wasn’t messing around: she recommended disciplinary action against several city officials, including former city manger Mike Sutcliffe and former mayor Obed Mlaba.

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, fresh off the back of selecting a shadow cabinet, will present the DA’s expectations in Parliament for Thursday’s State of the Nation address.

Economic data: January business confidence index (South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

Weather:
Johannesburg: 19°-27°, 30% chance of rain
Durban: 23°-31°, clear
Cape Town: 18°-27°, partly cloudy
Source: EWN

Curtains come down on nationalisation debate
On Tuesday Shabangu told the Mining Indaba in Cape Town that the ANC had rejected nationalisation, because "it is not viable for South Africa". If you look a little closely, it's the end of the nationalisation debate. For a generation. By STEPHEN GROOTES.

Ayanda Kota: Unapologetic ANC apostate
Like so many activists, service delivery protesters and people fighting for basic human rights in impoverished communities across South Africa, founder of the Unemployed People’s Movement Ayanda Kota is harassed, arrested and suppressed in the hope that he’ll shut up or go away. But Kota says he’s going nowhere, and will fight for the rights of the poor and unemployed until the bitter end. By MANDY DE WAAL.

Has the Nobel Peace Prize lost its way?
Nominations for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize closed last week. However, Nobel officials are facing an investigation into the view that their recent awards have lost sight of Alfred Nobel’s original intentions. By REBECCA DAVIS.

Test cricket: it's never going to survive unless it gets a little crazy
Pakistan whitewashing England in a Test series. New Zealand drawing with Australia. Shane Warne and Liz Hurley hooking up. This is all cricket-through-the-looking-glass stuff. But after years of Australian dominance (following on years of West Indies dominance), this can only be good for the game. By PAUL BERKOWITZ.

ZANEWS: Flushed Away?
Julius still tries to hang on to the seat, Zuma is feeling jolly, Michelle and Barack show us how praying together means staying together, Zille’s party parties hard and Cele guns for court.

It's mine time in Cape Town: the indaba is back
As surfers wax their boards and parliamentarians hum and hah about returning to work, Cape Town, queen of African cities, welcomes 7,200 delegates to the Mining Indaba. It’s quite a show. By RICHARD POPLAK.

Book Review: The Loss Library and Other Unfinished Stories, by Ivan Vladislavic
It’s the question writers dread. The halitotic, moist-eyed fan backs you into a corner at a launch and gushes, “You have such a marvellous imagination! Where do you get your ideas?” Ivan Vladislavic’s book, The Loss Library and Other Unfinished Stories, investigates where stories come from and, when they aren’t used, where they go. Review by DIANE AWERBUCK.

ANC's mining solutions: a depressing exercise
Ever since the nationalisation ramblings of soon-to-be former youth league leader and professional loudmouth, Julius Malema, mining CEOs have kept their bottles of Valium close at hand. Since then the ANC has commissioned a study into state intervention in mining, the outcome of which appears to make nationalisation an attractive alternative. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

Ivo Vegter: The Chinese model is morbidly obese
South Africa wants to adopt 'the Chinese economic model', President Jacob Zuma is expected to announce this week. This would be a very grave mistake. The Chinese miracle is not what it seems. Just like with the American and European debt crises, this will become painfully clear soon enough. But sadly not by Thursday.